Ask A Doctor: As we age, our spinal discs become rigid and vulnerable to injury

Dr. Jay Jolley

Q: I’ve been having massive back pain. Is it possible that it could be a herniated disc?

A: Our spinal discs are soft and elastic when we’re young, but as we age they can lose water content and become rigid and vulnerable to injury. Sometimes the tougher outer layer can even crack or rupture, causing an inside portion of the disc to push outside its normal boundary. This is called a herniated, or bulging, disc.

Herniated discs are a very common source of pain, especially pain that radiates into the shoulder and arm or buttock and leg. There are some exceptions, but most herniations aggravate the nerve itself which, in turn, causes the pain. However, an evaluation by a provider is recommended to rule out other possible causes of pain. Herniated discs are often the culprit, but occasionally there will be an entirely different cause that will require a different treatment.

— Dr. Jay Jolley, Southeastern Spine; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society

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